Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-06-09
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
Commissioners CoIman on PIeuro-Pneu-
monia-What Railroads Might Do to
Stamp il Out.

Commissioner Colman on PIeuro-Pneu-
monia-What Railroads Might Do to
Stamp 1t Out.
WAsHIScTON. June 2-Commissioner Of
Agriculture Colman yesterday sent out .
circular letter, addressed to the managers
of all railroads and transportation COM
panies in the United States, urging their
cooperation with the department in pre-
venting the spread of pleuro-pneumonia.
The Commissioner, in his circular, after
calling attention to the fact that pleuro-
pneumonia existed among cattle in Illinois,
Maryland and New York, says THE exist
| ence Of this contagious disease in such i'm
portant cattle centers as these States is a
danger so menacing to the cattle interests
OF the United States that it calls for the
most prompt, thorough and energetic meas
uses that can be taken, not only by the
National Government, but also by all parties
interested in the preservation of the great
cattle industry of the country No persons
or class of persons are more interested in
| the safety and growth of this industry than
transportation companies who derive
very large portion of their earnings from
shipment of cattle and their pro-
ducts, and none should be moro
active and energetic in en-
forcing such measures as are necessary to
stamp out this disease and prevent its
possible spread. The insidious character
VI IIl1S O1SSdSO, LIE easy anu
propagation by contact with animals hav-
ing the germs of disease and giving no out
ward symptoms of its presence, the con-
traction Of the plague from infected cars,
the spreading of the germs by means OF
manure carried in uncleansed cars from
place to place, all make it matter of
concern and render it necessary that
stringent measures should be adopted to
protect the cattle interests of the country
from this evil I haua fharafOra m
! suggest and to request that all transporta-
ton companies shall establish on their re-
sPective lines rule, and see that 1T is
rigidly enforced, that all cars that have
carried live stock shall be thoroughly
cleansed on the discharging of their freight
and not allowed to leave the freight or stock
yards until this is done. Also that the cars
shall be carefully disinfected in the follow
ing manner:
Remove all litter and manure. Wash
the car with water thoroughly clean. Sat
urate walls and floor with solution made
by dissolving four ounces of chloride to
one gallon of water. Stock yards and pens
should be cleansed and disinfected at least
once a week. Transportation companies
having connections with infected districts
should require parties offering cattle for
shipment to present at point of loading affi-
davits of the owner and two diSinterested
persons stating that the cattle to be
shipped have not been in any infected dis
trict and have not come in contact with
cattle from infected districts. These affi-
davits should be attached to, and accom-
pany the way-bill to the point of destina-
ton. AS several outbreaks of pleuro-
pneumonia have recently been traced to
cattle that had been shipped from in ;ected
districts a considerable distance by raj
the necessity of these precautions can not
be over-estimated, and if enforced thew
would be a national safeguard against tbs
spread of this disease